


Missed Moments - A Zutara Fanfic

by firebendingslytherin



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, One Shot, Zutara, the southern raiders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-26 20:13:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30111402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firebendingslytherin/pseuds/firebendingslytherin
Summary: This is a collection of missed moments between Katara and Zuko, during The Southern Raiders. It's mainly Zutara friendship, but there are definitely some romantic bits thrown in there.
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	Missed Moments - A Zutara Fanfic

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Those rights belong to the amazing Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino!
> 
> Enjoy!

**Catch**

It was utter chaos.

Azula had paid the Gaang a surprise visit at the Western Air Temple—a "family visit" as Zuko put it. Atop the airship, Zuko was now dueling his maniac of a sister, who was smirking widely with a crazed look on her face. Zuko easily deflected Azula's fiery attacks. His stance remained firm as he countered her strikes with firebending of his own. He wasn't about to let her get the upper hand. They were very evenly matched—Zuko had gotten a lot better at firebending. Still, battling Azula, not to mention on the curved surface of an airship, was no easy task.

However, steering a ten ton flying bison through a shower of missiles wasn't easy either. The rest of the Gaang sat in Appa's saddle, grabbing on to the sides for dear life. Sokka, who was in a state of panic, was screaming orders at Appa that he knew the giant couldn't understand. Toph, on the other hand, sat wordlessly in discomfort, a tight grip on the side of the saddle — she never liked flying. Aang was at the front, desperately clinging onto the reins, trying to steer Appa out of the deadly shower.

Back at the airship, there was a powerful collision of blue and orange fire. The force of the explosion had sent the siblings flying off. At the sight of Zuko's figure in mid air, Aang quickly steered Appa to fly under him. Instinctively, Katara reached up and grabbed Zuko's arms, pulling him to the safety of the saddle.

The Gaang watched as Azula continued her fall to certain death. "She's not going to make it…," Zuko said. As if she had heard her brother's comment, and was determined to prove him wrong, Azula pulled out a metal hairpin and used it to steady herself against the rocky cliff. The smirk hadn't been wiped off her face.

"Of course she did," Zuko bitterly added. He wasn't sure whether he should be relieved or disappointed at Azula's fate.

Once Appa had flown a safe distance away, Zuko let out a breath he didn't realize he was still holding. "Thanks for catching me," he said gratefully, turning to Katara.

"Don't mention it," Katara said impassively. She looked away, "Just returning the favor," she mumbled, remembering when Zuko had shoved her aside to prevent the ceiling from crashing down on her. She thought he hadn't heard that last part.

But he had.

* * *

**Cooking**

The Gaang had flown on Appa for a few hours, looking for an isolated spot to set up camp. They had found a grassy cliffside near the ocean, and decided it was the best place to stay for a couple everyone had set up their tents and unpacked their supplies, only the issue of dinner remained.

Katara frowned. Dinner was never a subject that usually bothered her. Until the past few months, that is. Dinner was her task, and her task only. Along with cleaning and laundry. No one ever offered to help, and she never asked. She didn't want to sound too needy. So she would just grit her teeth and get the job over with.

But it irked her a lot more tonight. Although there were less people here now than had been at the temple, there were still six mouths to feed. And it was late. As in, the sun had already gone down, late. Empty stomachs meant complaints. Especially from Sokka.

"Katara," he whined, "when's dinner gonna be ready, I'm starving!" Although no one else dared to complain, there were a few grunts of agreement.

Katara huffed in frustration. She didn't have the energy to lecture her immature brother. "A half hour," she said, trying to keep her voice level. She stormed over to their food supply and rummaged through the items. She was thankful that they had stocked up before their sudden departure from the Air Temple. She grabbed a bag of rice and a package of meat. She took some veggies for Aang, along with a few pots and pans.

On her way back to the campfire, she heard Sokka start to say, "But a half hour's too lo—OW!" Suki had elbowed him hard in the side, effectively shutting him up. Katara was thankful for the Kyoshi Warrior, reminding herself to dish a little more food into Suki's bowl later.

Katara started the fire and began cooking the rice, starting to feel a bit hungry herself. She tiredly stirred the rice every few seconds. She sighed in exhaustion, allowing her mind to wander. She thought of the war, of her deceased mother, of the immature kids that sat at the campsite, and even briefly of a certain firebender.

She was suddenly awoken from her thoughts by the sizzle of the meat as it was placed on a hot pan. Her eyes followed the noise to find Zuko, ex-Prince of the Fire Nation, cooking.

_Cooking._

She almost laughed out loud. She didn't, of course. Her actions around Zuko were always guarded. "What are you doing?" she asked, with a slight bitterness to her words.

"Cooking," he replied simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Why, though?" she asked. "You've never helped me before," she added coldly.

"I'm helping now, aren't I?" Zuko said, and proceeded to flip the meat. Katara almost screamed in frustration. _How can he be doing... nothing, and still be so infuriating?! He can't just go around a start helping me cook dinner like he's done nothing wrong in the past! This isn't fair,_ she thought.

They wordlessly continued to cook the night's dinner. Occasionally, their elbows bumped, causing Zuko to be on the receiving end of Katara's icy glares. The two teenagers worked surprisingly well together, though in slight discomfort.

Soon enough, the rice, meat, and vegetables were cooked and served in bowls. The rest of the Gaang rushed over to snatch up their dinner (without a thank you, as usual), and scurried back to the sitting area of their campsite.

Katara sighed and picked up her bowl. It was only then that she noticed Zuko was still there. He had been the last one to take his dinner, and was now moving to go follow the others.

"Zuko," Katara blurted out. Zuko turned around with an expectant look on his face.

She hadn't thought this through. "...Thank you," she said quietly, her eyes averted.

Zuko simply nodded, and turned around to join the others.

* * *

**Advice**

"Then you didn't love her the way I did!" Katara yelled impulsively.

"Katara...," her brother said in a hurt voice. Katara immediately regretted her outburst at her brother, but had too much pride to apologize right then and there.

But Sokka didn't understand. Neither did Aang. Especially Aang. The man who killed her mother ーthat _monster_... he didn't deserve forgiveness, he deserved _punishment_. Forgiveness just wasn't an option.

"It's not just hard," Katara said, "it's impossible," she turned away from the boys, and walked towards the cliff side.

It wasn't long before she heard Zuko's footsteps behind her. Great. What was with him and following her when she wanted to be alone?

"What do you want now?" she snapped, crossing her arms defensively. "Here to tell me that you've changed your mind too, that I should listen to Aang?!"

Zuko looked like he wanted to shout something back at her, but bit his tongue. "No," he said evenly. "I stand by what I said earlier—this is something you need to do." He paused before saying, "But I think you should still apologize to Sokka."

That struck a nerve. "I can deal with my brother on my own. I don't need your help!" Who was he to butt in with her business with Sokka? No one asked for his opinion. "Sokka's fine!" she yelled, glaring at him. Though it seemed like she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to prove Zuko wrong.

Zuko merely shook his head, shrugged, and turned to go to his tent. Katara stood, fuming.

But she was suddenly reminded of Sokka's wounded expression, and the way his voice broke in sadness and disappointment. A wave of guilt fell over her. Maybe she _was_ too harsh with him.

Katara inhaled deeply, and walked over to her brother's tent.

She had taken Zuko's advice after all.

* * *

**Rest**

"Your mother was a brave woman," Zuko said thoughtfully.

"I know…," Katara said sadly, reaching up to touch her necklace, her last link to her mother. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, and she brought her knees to her chest.

Katara didn't know why she had told Zuko the story of her mother's death. But as much as he infuriated her, Zuko was the only one that really understood her. After all, he had his mother taken away from him too. He understood her need for revenge.

Even so, he was still a pain in butt sometimes. Like when he was nagging her to get some rest. She scoffed. Didn't he realize that she doesn't need rest? She had prepared for this day her whole life, how could she be bogged down by sleep?

Although her mind refused to get some sleep, her body eventually took over. She had fallen asleep just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

From the saddle, Zuko didn't know if she was asleep or not. She had remained motionless for the past several hours, staring at the ocean ahead. And he wasn't too fond of getting yelled at again.

He then noticed that her head was drooping slightly, not at attention like it had been a while ago. He decided to take his chances, and quietly made his way over to Appa's head, where Katara sat.

He sighed in relief when he noticed that her eyes were shut, and she was indeed sleeping. But she would surely wake up with a sore neck if she continued to sleep in her upright position.

On instinct, Zuko carefully put an arm around her shoulders, and another under her knees. He proceeded to carry her sleeping figure to the saddle, and set her down gently. He thanked the spirits that Katara was a heavy sleeper. Zuko quietly returned to the front and took the reins.

Finally, she was getting some rest. Zuko exhaled in relief, trying to ignore the blush that was slowly creeping up his face.

* * *

**Curse**

"It's not him," Katara realized, and dropped her hold on the captain. "He's not the man," she said in a broken whisper. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. She turned around to walk out of the ship's control room. Squeezing her eyes shut, she felt tears of anger, frustration, and disappointment build up in her eyes. They had come all this way for nothing.

Zuko shoved the captain hard against the metal wall, making sure he couldn't get free. "If you're not the man we're looking for, who is?!" Zuko demanded.

The man squirmed under Zuko's harsh glare. "Y-you must be looking for Yon Rah. He retired four years ago," he choked out.

Katara opened her eyes. She felt a sense of relief wash over her, but that was soon replaced with a newfound anger. _So this monster has a name_. It was a weird sort of feeling, but it only made Katara more determined to find this man and give him what he deserved.

Zuko let go of the man, gathered his swords, and followed Katara off the ship. By the time he had caught up with her, she was feeding Appa a stack of hay to get him nourished for the journey ahead.

"I'm sorry it wasn't him," Zuko said sympathetically.

"Why? It wasn't _your_ fault," Katara said with a slight coldness to her words, her back still turned to him. _This isn't the time for that, Katara,_ a voice said in her head. _He's come all this way for your sake, you could at least make an effort to be civil with him._ She looked over her shoulder, "But thanks anyway," she said in a more gentle tone.

The two of them climbed on Appa once again, to make the trip to Yon Rah's little town. A little while into the journey, a thought came to Zuko.

"Katara?" he asked.

"What is it?"

He took a breath. "On the ship ... what happened to that captain? It was like he ... lost control of his limbs."

"Oh..." came Katara's reply. She turned to face him. "It's called bloodbending," she said finally. It was obvious the topic brought her discomfort. Zuko quirked an eyebrow.

"About a month ago, we were staying in this Fire Nation town. An old innkeeper named Hama decided to take us in for the night. She was a little weird but seemed nice enough, so we went with her. We eventually found out she was a waterbender from my tribe, who had escaped from prison.

"Hama decided to share some of her waterbending techniques with me the next day. When it was nighttime, the night of the full moon, Hama decided to teach me one last skill called bloodbending.

"She explained that wherever there was life, there was water. She said that a waterbender could bend someone's blood, and control their limbs, but only during a full moon. She invented and developed this technique in prison, in order to escape."

Katara inhaled deeply, and shuddered. "She wanted me to become a bloodbender, like her, but I refused. It's cruel, and it's evil. But she wouldn't take no for an answer. Hama started to bloodbend me, but I was able to fight it off. But when Aang and Sokka joined the fight, they couldn't resist it. She used her bloodbending to turn them against me, and against each other.

"I had no choice. Aang and Sokka were going to take each other out. I had to bloodbend Hama to put a stop to it," she said, her voice laced with guilt. She hung her head in shame. "But it's not a skill, it's a curse. I promised myself that I would never do it again."

She turned away from him. "I'm a monster," she whispered.

"No, Katara, you're not," Zuko instantly replied. "Bloodbending is just an action, it doesn't make you a monster. Hama used it to attack the innocent, but you've only used it in times of need. It doesn't define you, Katara," he reassured her.

Katara was surprised to say the least. Zuko had never really come across to her as a wise person. She didn't let it show, but Zuko's words had really helped her to start to come to terms with her actions. Maybe he wasn't as bad as she'd made him out to be. "Thanks, Zuko," she said. She almost thought she saw Zuko smile. _Impossible,_ she reasoned.

But she didn't have any more time to ponder over her actions or Zuko's words. They had arrived.

* * *

**Gratitude**

"But as much as I hate you," Katara started, angrily, "I just can't do it." She turned around, and walked away. She didn't look back.

Zuko lingered for a moment longer, to glare harshly at the whimpering man. Yon Rah hadn't even tried to defend himself. He was just old, and sad, and pathetic. Zuko followed Katara shortly after.

The rain continued to pour down mercilessly, and the air was uncomfortably cold. They had found a cave in a little patch of woods that was just big enough to fit Appa and the two of them. They reached the mouth of the cave, and Katara wordlessly waterbended the wetness out of their clothing. She walked to the back of the cave, sat down, and held her head in her hands.

Zuko had no idea what to do. No doubt, she was going through a lot of emotions right now. But did she want to be comforted or left alone? He just didn't know. Zuko decided to get a fire going to provide some warmth, and to keep his mind preoccupied with something else.

Zuko started a small fire and sat down on the other side of the little cave. He glanced at Katara. She had moved to sit closer to the fire, probably to get some warmth. She brought her knees into her chest, curling herself into a tight ball. Her whole body was shaking, but Zuko didn't know if it was from the cold, or her crying. Or both.

For a reason unknown, the sight made Zuko's heart break a little. Katara had always been so fierce, so full of life and power. But seeing her now, she just looked so helpless and... small.

Zuko couldn't take it any longer. He walked over to Appa and grabbed a blanket. He paused, as if to rethink his actions. He shook his head, and walked over to Katara.

He knelt beside her and wrapped the blanket around her figure. Katara's head shot up in surprise. Her face was streaked with tears, and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Zuko didn't know why it hurt to see her in so much pain.

Katara pulled the blanket tighter against her body. "Thank you," she said quietly, eyes downcast.

"Uh... no problem. You looked cold so—"

"No, I mean," she blushed slightly, and looked up at his face. "Thank you for coming with me. I couldn't have done this without you. It means a lot."

"Of course, Katara," he replied softly.

_Anything to earn your trust and forgiveness,_ he thought.

* * *

**Promise**

The journey back to the grassy cliffside was fairly long. Katara and Zuko had flown pretty far south to Whale Tail Island, almost all the way to the South Pole.

Zuko took the reins, while Katara got some much needed rest back in the saddle. She awoke several hours after their departure, feeling well rested. Appa was now flying over the vast ocean. Katara spotted Zuko sitting motionless at the front, much like she had been many hours before.

"Zuko?" she asked.

He looked a little surprised to hear her voice, but the feeling quickly subsided. "Yeah?"

She hesitated before asking, "What happened to your mother?" She bit her lip. Was she prying too much? "You don't have to tell me if—"

"No, it's okay," he replied. He took a breath, and shifted uncomfortably. "On the day of the Invasion, Ozai told me that Fire Lord Azulon had ordered him to … kill me. Ozai said he was going to do it." Katara's eyes widened.

"My mother had found out and wanted to put a stop to it. She knew my father wanted the throne, and so she executed a plan to give him just that, in order to spare my life. Ozai said that what she had done was an act of treason, and was banished for her crimes.

"All I can remember is my mother coming into my room one night, telling me she loved me, and leaving." He paused, "That was the last time I ever saw her," he added quietly.

Katara was speechless. She, at least, knew the fate of her mother, but Zuko had no idea what happened to his.

"So she could still be alive?" Katara asked.

"Yeah, she could," Zuko answered uncertainly. Would he ever see her again? How could he even find her? Did she even _want_ to be found?

"Zuko," Katara started. He turned to look at her. "When this is all over, I'll help you find her. I promise," she said with sincere determination.

Zuko's gaze softened at her words. "Thank you, Katara," he said, smiling slightly.

Katara smiled back. _It's the least I could do._

* * *

**Aftermath**

Katara sat at the edge of the dock once again. She swung her feet back and forth, the tips of her shoes grazing the water's surface. The sun had just set, and the air was getting colder.

She decided that she still had some thoughts to sort out. Most of which centered around a certain ex-prince firebender.

"Dinner?" an awkward voice asked from behind her.

Zuko stood a few feet away from her, holding a steaming bowl of noodle soup. He looked rather uncomfortable.

She smiled slightly and nodded, "Thanks." He handed her the bowl. He had just turned to leave when she called out to him, "Wait." He turned to her.

"Could you stay?" Her request was a bit unusual, but he nodded, and took a seat beside her.

Katara poked the noodles in her soup around with her chopsticks for a bit, before sighing, and setting the bowl down. "I don't think I ever apologized," she started.

Zuko looked at her with a quizzical expression. "For what?"

"For how I treated you ever since you joined us," she said guiltily.

"Katara, you don't have to apologi—"

"Yes, I do," she stated firmly. "All you ever did was try to be a better person and help us. But all I ever did was give you a hard time. You didn't deserve that, not after everything you had risked," she said. "I'm really sorry." And she genuinely meant it.

"Really, it's okay Katara," he said. He turned to her and smiled, "I'm just glad we're friends now."

"Me too," she replied softly, smiling as well.

There was this sense of sincerity and warmth in his eyes that she had never noticed before. It was so different from when they had first met. _Had he always been this handsome?_ Katara's heart fluttered at the thought.

The two benders sat together at the edge of the dock in a comfortable silence. Before long, Katara's head found its way to rest on Zuko's shoulder. He wasn't complaining though. Not in the slightest. He smiled contentedly.

Soon enough, the stars started to come out, and the moon rose to take its place in the night sky. Its soft light reflected in the calm waters below, creating a beautiful scenery. It was a small and peaceful moment, but one that would be forever cherished.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! This is my first ever fanfic, and comments/kudos are really appreciated. I would love to hear your thoughts on this fanfic, as well as suggestions for future ones.
> 
> Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of my most favorite fandoms, and it holds a really special place in my heart. I watched it as a young kid, and I've rewatched it more times than I can count. As a kid, I fell in love with the funny and loveable characters, the amazing fight scenes, and beautiful animation. But now I've come to appreciate the complex storyline and characters (*cough cough* Zuko, I love you), the attention to detail in each scene, and how the show deals with dark topics like genocide, war, death, abuse of power, and mental instability, while still remaining goofy and heartwarming.
> 
> I've shipped Zutara for many years now - I still continue to squeal like a little girl every time the two of them are on screen together. Over the past several years, I've read a lot of amazing Zutara fanfiction, and so I finally decided to write my own. All of you writers out there, whether it be fanfiction or not— you guys are my inspiration.


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